The Inside Scoop On Ryanair’s Complete Meltdown….

It’s safe to say that Ryanair is having a bad week. To make things worse- things aren’t going to get better for at least six more weeks. Talk about a bad month at the office. Their abundant flight cancellations have made headlines all around the world, leaving people wondering… WTF. Without further adieu, we present a by the numbers- inside scoop on the Ryanair fiasco.

300,000-385,000 Passengers Will Be Affected.

There are incredible cities with lesser populations. Ryanair’s cancellations, which have just been listed in their (supposed) entirety will strand up to 385,000 passengers with limited options for refund, rebooking or other.

Ryanair Says Vacation + On Time Schedules Are The Reason.

Ryanair says that a back log of mandatory allowed vacation time for pilots and crew is the main culprit for their scheduling woes. They also say that their on time record falling from their standard 90% to numbers teetering below 80% thanks to over scheduling is to blame.

Rumor Has It, Norwegian Airlines Is A Big Part Of The Problem.

Rumors are flying around pilot and crew communities throughout Europe that Norwegian are making “offers they can’t refuse”- to Ryanair employees. Norwegian has promised to make workers full time employees rather than contractors, amongst other “upgraded” perks. This is all rumor, but it could explain a mass exodus- creating pilot and crew shortages.

Cancelled Passenger Options Are Far Too Limited.

Ryanair is offering full refunds or rebooking options. Unfortunately, those rebooking options do NOT extend to rebooking on other airlines– which is against legal EU261 passenger rights policy. This could end up costing the airline more than 20 million euros. Refunds are in many cases not enough to purchase a ticket on an alternative carrier either. It’s a mess.

Passengers Should Follow EU261 Guidance And Seek Help.

Ryanair is not following the complete passenger rights guidance provided by the European Union. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t either. We highly suggest that affected passengers pursue any and all legally obligated claims to make their travel plans fair and as on time as possible. This website is a great resource. We are also big fans of AirHelp, which help get compensation, in exchange for a cut.

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For those traveling from/to the UK, RyanAir is signed up to Alternative Dispute Resolution with a CAA approved provider, AviationADR. That’s binding arbitration and if the provider rules in the passenger’s favor the airline is legally obliged to pay up. Far more convenient that taking them to court yourself and far cheaper than using an ambulance chasing lawyer like AirHelp as the ADR provider doesn’t take a slice of the compo.